Temperature measuring apparatus



arch 3, 19136. R. E. FRlcKl-:Y 2,032,407

TEMPERATURE l MEASURING' APPARATUS Filed 0G15. 2, 1953 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,032,407 TEMPERATURE MEASURING APPARATUS Royal E. Frickey, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Welding Service, Inc., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California,

Application October 2, 1933, Serial No. 691,751

4 Claims. (Cl. 13G-4) This invention relates generally to apparatus To facilitate use by an operator, a suitable for measuring or indicating the temperatures of handle 19 is shown, which is in the'form of a tube various solid bodies. It has particular applicaof insulating material. The spring lingers 2| are tion to a relatively elevated temperature range shown Vsecured to the lower end of this tube, for

5 for which the usual types of mercury thermommaking detachable engagement With the 0011211" eters and like devices are not suitable. I8. The lead Wires I2 and I3 from the thermo- It is an object of the invention to provide an couple U are ShOWIl eXtel'ldiIlg through the apapparatus of the above character which will afertures 22, `and also through the Slots 23, t0 the ford an accurate and reliable temperature readterminals 24 carried by the handle. These term. ing irrespective of the presence of oxides or like minals facilitate making electrical connections foreign material upon vthe surface' of the heated to Vconductors leading to a suitable electrical body. measuring instrument, such as a micro-volt- A further object of the invention is to vprovide meteran apparatus which will measure the tempera,- The manner in which the apparatus described 1,5 ture of heated solid bodies without the necessity eJbOVe iS Used in DleCCe, Can best be explained of providing an aperture or cavity in the body by reference to Figs. 2 and 3. In Fig. 2 it will be for enclosing a thermal couple or like temperanoted that e -millvoltmeteh 01 like measuring inture sensitive element. strument 26 has been diagrammatically shown A further object of the invention is to provide electrically connected to the lead wires I2 and 2U a simple and rugged form, of apparatus for the I3. The conductors extending to instrument 26 2o purposes outlined, which can be operated withcanv be of metals like the lead wires I2 and I3, out diiculty under eld conditions. to avoid form-ation of secondary thermo-couples Further objects of the invention will appear which Inight introduce errors in the indications from the following description in which the presecured. It will be presumed that an operator ferred embodiment of the invention has been set Wishes to determine the temperature of a body 25 forth in detail in commotion with the accom- 2l', which is known t0 be Within a temperature panying drawing. range abovel the point of fusion of the material Referring to the drawing: I0 but Vbelow its boiling point. It will be noted Figure 1 is a side elevational View, in cross secthat the body 2'I in this instance is provided with 3ov tion, illustrating apparatus incorporating the a relatively nat exposed upper surface 28. The 3o present invention. Y operator grasps the device of Fig. 1 and presses Figures 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views illusthe lower face of the fusible metal IIJ into contact trating diagrammatically the manner in which with the upper flat surface 28 shown in Fig. 2, my apparatus is employed in measuring the temwith the handle I9 in a generally upright posiperature of bodies. tion. Sufficient heat transfer occurs from the 35 The present invention can best be explained body 2'I through the surfaces in contact to the after a detailed description of the apparatus ilfusible metal I0, to elevate the temperature of lustrated in the drawing. 'Ihis apparatus 'conmetal I8 to the point of fusion. After fusion the sists of a solid mass Ill of a suitable fusible metal, metal I0 is not dispersed but maintains itself in 40 within which an electro-thermal couple II is the form of a globule or pellet Illa, as shown in 40 embedded. This electro-thermal couple, or Fig. 3. 'I'he fused metal forms a much more efequivalent temperature sensitive element, may fective heat transferring contact with the upper be of conventional construction, consisting for surface of body 2l, so that its temperature conexample of copper and iron wires I2 and I3, havtinues to rise until a temperature level is ating their ends twisted, welded, or otherwise setained approximating that of the body 2'I. More 45 cured together. eiective heat transferring contact is provided To afford handling and applicating means for because the fused metal touches substantially all the arrangement described above, I have shown points of the relatively large intersurface area bea body I4 of refractory material, which can be tween it and the body 2l. Likewise, immediately annular in contour. The lower face of body I4 upon fusion of the metal I0 the body I4 moves 50 is formed to provide a cavity I6 within which the downwardly into engagement with the upper surfusible metal I8 is disposed. A guard Il surface 28, as shown in Fig. 3, and, since the electrorounds body I4, and may be of suitable material thermal couple II is carried by the body I4, such such as sheet metal. 'Ihe upper portion of body a positioning of this body serves to definitely lo- I4 is shown in the form of an annular collar I8. cate and retain the thermal couple immersed inV 55 the globule I a. Thus the thermal couple Il is likewise heated to substantially the same temperature as the globule Illa, to produce a corresponding current flow through the measuring instrument 26. After making a temperature measurement in this fashion, the fused metal can be discarded and a new thermal couple attached to the device of Fig. l with the fusible material I0 applied to the same.

The apparatus described above has many desirable characteristics. Even though the surface 28 of the body 21 may be coated with scale or oxide, a good heat transferring contact is established after the material l0 has fused. Likewise, since the thermal couple l l is positioned so as to be immersed within the globule Illa, the operator may be assured that the temperature applied to this couple will be substantially the same as the temperature of the globule, even though vthere may be a slight shifting of the thermal couple relative to the body. It is of course evident that if a cavity were available in theheated body, a pool of fusible metal could be formed within this body, within which the thermal couple could in turn be immersed. However, in many instances such a cavity is not available, and it is undesirable to mutilate the surface of the heated body to form such a cavity. My apparatus makes it possible to take a temperature reading from a relatively flat surface of the body, since the material l0 when fused takes the form of a non-dispersing globule or pellet, as shown in Fig. 3.

It is of course evident that the fusible metal employed should be selected with regard to the temperature range within which it is desired to measure. For example, in measuring temperatures within a range from, say, 1000 to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, I have used a low temperature alloy consisting of lead, tin and bismuth.

My apparatus has proven successful when used under conditions for which other forms of apparatus or methods are not applicable. For example, it has been employed to check the temperature of heated rail ends, preparatory to hardening the rail ends by chilling. In this particular application the surfaces of the rail ends become covered with scale and like foreign material of relatively poo-r conductivity, so that a temperature reading obtained by placing a thermal couple or like element directly into contact with a rail surface is inaccurate and unreliable. With my apparatus the temperature of such a body can be determined with a high degree of accuracy and reliability and under field conditions where complicated or delicate instruments cannot be used.

If it is desired to calibrate my apparatus in terms of a standard temperature scale, this can be accomplished in various ways, as for example by checking readings of instrument 26 against readings of a radiation pyrometer on the same heated body.

I claim:

1. In electrical temperature measuring apparatus, an electro-thermal couple, a solid mass of material in which said couple is embedded, said material being fusible within the temperature range for which the apparatus is adapted to measure, and applicating means for contacting said material with a heated surface.

2. In electrical temperature measuring apparatus, an electro-thermal couple, a solid mass of material in which said couple is embedded, said material being fusible within the temperature range for which the apparatus is adapted to measure, and applicating means for contacting said material with a heated surface, said applicating means including means for retaining said couple immersed in said material when fused.

3. In electrical temperature measuring apparatus, an electro-thermal couple, a mass of fusible metal in which said couple is embedded, said metal being fusible within the temperature range for which the apparatus is adapted to measure, and applicating means for contacting one face of said mass with the upper surface of a heated body, said applicating means including means for retaining said couple immersed in said material ROYAL E. FRICKEY. 

